Chronic bronchitis: Help patients breathe easy.

The article offers information about chronic bronchitis, which is characterized by a productive cough of sputum on most days for three months in each of two consecutive years with or without impaired airflow obstruction. It is one of the two main components of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its risk factors include infection, environmental exposures, air pollution, medication noncompliance, and continued smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.